Process for making carbid



J. H. REID.

PROCESS FOR MAKING CARBID.

APPLICAUON FILED SEPT-21'. 1917.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

- carbid. It is om'ren STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

JAMES HmY BEID, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO INTER- innomm m'rnoenn commit, a conromrron or nmwm rnocnss' ron mme'cmm.

To all whom it may cmwem:f

'Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY REID,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and for Making Carbid clare the .followin exact description t e'reof.

This invention relates to a process of makg carbid such, for example, as calcium to be understood, however, that the invention comprehends both metal and non-metal carbids.

The invention has for its object, among others, the production of carbids by the action of heat in such manner that a more perfect conversion may be obtained with less heat, in shorter time, and the expenditure of less energy, such as electrical energy, than has been ossible in the processes employed hereto ore.

Moreover, the process :is so designed that the product is removed from the zone of reaction as fast as itis formed, so that only ;and I do hereby des'ufficient energy is consumed to produce the carbid which is not subsequently subjected to over-heating, nor is it retained within the action of the heat zone for a longer time than is necessary to produce and discharge .A further object is the production of a substantially non-contaminated product.

the material to be Further, the pfiportion of carbon. in

sufiicient to form a carbid from .the desired oxid.

The material from which the carbid is produced comprises a cemented mixture of an oxid and carbon. This oxid and carbonmixture, for example,

may be a lime-carbon coke material; such as produced from the carbonization or decomposition by a mixture of bituminous coal and llnie. The

calcium oxid is saturated with hydrocarbons from the decomposition of the coal and carban is deposited evenly throughout thelime by decomposition of the hydrocarbons. The carbon, so deposited, is rigidly attached to and is not separable from the oxid by vibrationor such other physical action as may be encountered in an electrical furnace.

Calcium oxid, for example, when subuseful Improvement in Processes to be a full, clear, and

. idly as possible,

.moved from the electrodes.

converted may .be 'ust' heat of- Speeineation 01 Letters Patent. Patented N 0V. 8, 1921. Application filed September 21, 1917. Serial No. 192,487.

of oxid and carbon to a heat reaction zone,

induced and maintained by the passage of electricity through the material between electrodes, where it is converted into the desired product, and discharged therefrom by gravity or other means. In the operation of my process it is found desirable to' permit thedischarge of molten carbid as rapmean'while preventing the passage of unconverted solid material. This may be accomplished by means of abarrier or hearth placed. immediately below the zone of extreme heat but sufliciently reso that it does not short-circuit the furnace by causing the electric current to pass directly from the electrode through the hearth. The accompanying drawing shows a type of construction that may be. used in the operation of my process. a

As an example of the process and the manner in which the same is carried out, the making of calcium carbid from lime-carbon coke by the action of'heat induced by electricity will be taken; reference being directed to the accompanying drawings, in which, I

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an electric furnace;

Fig. '2 is a sectional view on the lines 22; Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, indicates an electric with the feed receptacle 2, into. which projects the electrodes 3 and 4, provided with the electrical contact attachments 5 and 6, which electrodes 3 and 4, are so arranged as to deliver electricity to and from each other throughthe material 7, to be converted into carbid, and the hearth 8, so situated as to radiate and supply heat to and furnace provided means for obstructing the passage of material unconverted into carbid, until it is converted, and a .means for separating the condition.

The carbid falling from the hearth 8 accumulates at .10, .whence'it may be drawn or raked out from time to time.

The electrodes 3 and 4: composed -of an electrically conductive carbon, such as graphitic carbon, are rovided with rest or guide sections 11 an in the walls of the furnace. These supports are designed to. direct the electrodes toward the hearth 8 in such manner that they will coact and cooperate withthe hearth to concentrate the necessary amount of heat upon and through the formed into carbid. Thus as thecarbid is formed it is discharged from the heat zone in a molten stateby gravity. This avoids over-heating to apoint "of decomposition of the carbid or the production of other substances which would be formed through con- .tinued over-heating of the carbidwhich decomposition or formation of other substances would contaminate the desired product so as to be more or less detrimental to the production of pure acetylene ornitrogen containing products of a uniform nature when the carbid is acted upon by water or furnace is resistant.

nitrogen. v I I The floor 13of the furnace upon which the carbid accumulates is of suitable material ineit to the carbid produced to prevent contamination of the product and the product may be removed by withdrawing or Taking the same therefrom through either outlet 14 or 15. I

The heat in the furnace is produced by the action of electricity passing through the resistant material 7 between the electrodes 3 and 4.

In making calcium carbid, an intimate or pulverized mixture of a calcium oxy-compound, such as calcium oxid with bituminous coal, is heated toform a homogeneous mixture of oxid and carbon or, mother words,

what I term lime carbon coke. The hydrocarbons evolved from the bituminous coal initially saturate each particleof the lime and are finally disassociated by the action of heat, leaving a lime to and within which the carbon is rigidly cemented. This prodnot is more uniformly resistant to the passage of a current of electricity than a loose mixture of calcium oxid and coke as ordinarily employed. The lime and carbon in this cemented mixtnrecannot be'sep'arated from each other by electrical vibration which accentuates the difference in specific gravity between them. This separatlon is a serious defect in the'processes. now employed.

coke, such as lime-carbon coke,

12 suitably supportedpassage of the current ingredients to be trans-v an important function,

coke, is then brokeninto small pieces and".

fed into an electric furnace, as shown in they accompanying drawings at the numeral 7, between the electrodes 3 and 4. A current of electricity is through the electrodes 3 and 4, by means of the contacts 5 and 6, communicating with a source of electricity, not shown.

As the electricity passes throu h the terminals of the electrodes and t r ugh the lower. portions of the mass of oxid carbon for example, the resistance'to the generates a steadily soon reaches a point is converted into carbid. The heat of formation still further augments the formation of the carbid and also facilitates the flow increasing heat which and discharge of the carbid from the heat the carbon monoxid liberated in the reaction. n p v The molten calcium carbid formed, falls from the heated hearth 8 and accumulates on the floor l3'of 'the furnace, as shown at from which place it-may be withdrawn or secured from-time to time as desired.

The ominant principle governing this It does not function as anare furnace. The oxid carbon coke is properly proportioned, mechanically and chemically mixed," and physically cemented into a solid homogeneous mass. The chief function of the furnace is to heat'the oxidcarbon coke by resistance, not by surrounding it with an arc. When the oxid-carbon coke reaches the proper temperature the carbid formed becomes liquid.

The principal functions of first to retain any oxid-carbon coke or partially formed carbid masses within the zone of high temperature resistance until the carbid reaction is complete, and second, to reflect upon the lower portion-of the material in the furnace, the intense heat derived from two sources, viz., the combustion of the carbon'monoxid formed by the conversion ofoxid and carbon into carbid, and by convecthen passed the hearth are at which the material tion and conduction from themolten carbid fallinggupon the hearth.

The furnace may be operated by gravity,

as can be readily understood from the drawings from the fact that the carbid becomes liquid at the moment of formation. {This is as any carbid formed, immediately flows by gravity, over and off the hearth out of the zone of reaction and heat. Therefore, there can be little decomposition or contamination of the carbid.

Any metal com ound, oxy-com'pound, or

-- oxid, may-be emp oyedinstead-of a calcium ing out the process ahd have indicated gen ,1 erally an apparatus which may be employed,

from the compound, and the same may be cemented by the action of heat on the hydrocarbon intimately associated therewith.

By producing carbid in accordance .with the-present invention, the material to be transformed or converted into the product desiredmay be fed to and delivered from the furnace in a continuous manner without the necessity of heating more material than is necessary for its immediate conversion, or the delivery of more energy or electric current than is necessary to produce the carbid, thereby providing a continuous process point of supply to the point of discharge. The material in transit isconverted as supplied and the production of carbid consumes just enough energy or electricity for its conversion.

While I haveherein described more or particular manher of carryless in detail a and also have specified as examples certain materials or compounds which may be used, it is to be understood'that the invention, is

' not limited to these details other than as posed of carbon and carbid which comprises feeding by specified in the appended claims. v Having now described my invention what I claim is' 1. The continuous process of, making a avity to' a zone of reaction coked 'materia ,com-

a metal oxy-compound, and removing from such zone by gravity the molten carbid substantially as rapidly as produced. 2: The continuous process of making a carbid which comprises feeding to a zone.

- of reaction coked material composed ofcarb'on and a' metal 'oxy-compound, and removing from such substantially as rapidly as produced.

, 3. The rocess 0 making a carbid which comprises eating toa point at which carbid.

is produced a metal oxy-compound impregnated with carbon,

carbid thus produced from the zone of reaction substantially asrapidly as formed.

4. The process of making carbidwhieh zone the "molten carbid -HENRY REID have hereunto set In and discharging the .tamination of the carbid can take place.

6. The process ofmaking a carbid which comprises-heating by means of its resistance to the passage of an electric current an intimate coked mixture of metal oxy-compound and carbon, retaining such mixture-in the zone 0? reaction until molten carbid is formed, and removing the molten carbid from such zone by gravity substantially as rapidly as formed.

he process of making a carbid which comprises feeding a coked mixture of a metal oxy-compound and carbon to'a heatreaction zone induced andmaintained by the passage of electricity through such mixture, maintaining the mixture within such zone until its conversion into carbid is substan tially complete, and discharging by, gravity the carbid thus rapidly as forme 8. he process of continuously producing carbid which comprises feeding to a zone of reaction a coked mixture of a inetal oxycompound with cokable carbonaceous material, converting. said mixture into molten carbid, and removing the molten carbid b gravity substantially as re idly as forme In testimony whereof, I the said JAMES hand.

. 7 JAMES HENR REID.

Witnesses:

CHARLES R. WRIGHT, Jr., a R. CoRNwALn dproduced substantially as FLOYD 

